Well packer



J. D. NIXON WELL PACKER July 27 1926.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 1924 I ID, NlXON, gwuc nioz w H rLUFIULIHHLrIHIILlnlflhrn-HHIIInllu\|l|\\\\|lllllllllllllllllllllllllLIHIIIIIIllllIIIIIIIIIII!MPlillllllllllizlilvrilli 1 J. D. NIXON WELL PACKER July 27 1926.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 22, 1924 11 NIXON,

ing operations or in providing an outlet Patented July 27; 1926.

UNITED STATES-'2 Jenny n. NIXON,

1,593,909 PATENT OFFICE.

or noUs'roN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR 150 w. I. uh. courm, mo, 01

Housman, Texas.

WELL PACKEB.

My invention relates to' packers for use in shutting off the space outside the tubing employed in raising the oil or water" from deep wells. It may be employed in pumpfor fluid in flowinglwells.

An object of the invention is to provide a packer having the same internal diameter as the tubing throughout.

Another object is to provide a packer which may be positively expanded 'at any desired point in the well. 7

Another object is to so constructthe packer that it may be released and adjusted to a different position after it is once set, without removing the tubing from the well. It is also desired to provide -a simple and strongly constructed packer, easily assembled and not liable to get out of order.

Referring to the drawing herewith, Fig. 1 is a central longitudinal section through a packer embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are transverse sections on the planes 2-2 and 33, respectively, of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section showing the packer in expanded position; and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same.

In the drawing I have shown my improvement in packers adapted to be secured at a point within a string of tubing inserted into the well, it beingjdesired to provide a packer which may be expanded at any point desired within the well, and to so arrange the mechanism that the packer may be released and again adjusted at any time thereafter At the upper end of the packer 1s a nipple 1, threaded internally at 2 for engagement with the section of tubing above; the lower end of the nipple is .flared outwardly and has two threaded openings there n to engage with sections of pipe constituting the body of the packer. The outer seat 3 is threaded for engagement with a tube or barrel 4: upon which-the compressible packing sleeve 5 is seated. The lower end of the nipple 1 forms a shoulder at 6 to bear against the upper end of the packng sleeve. The lower end of thebarrel 4 18 adapted to contact with a shoulder 7 upon a coupling 8. 7

Immediately below the packing sleeve 5 is a downwardly tapered ring or mandrel 9 of the same thickness as the packing sleeve,'and having an upper seat 10 thereon to support the packing. The lower tapered end ofthe mandrel rests upon a flange or ring 11, which is secured rigidly upon the barrel 4 preferably by being shrunk thereon. It will be, noted that this ring will prevent the downward movement of the mandrel,'and thus tend to support. the packing sleevein position between the shoulders 6 and 10. r

The lower coupling or nipple 8, isheld in spaced relation relativeto the nipple 1 by means of an inner tube 12. Thistube is screwed within a seat 13 in the nipple. 1 and is formed of the same interior diameter as the tubing through which the F pump plunger is to work. By this means the pump mayoperate through .the packer without dilficulty. The lower end of the tube 12" is threaded within the coupling 8' and it will be noted that when thus secured .1 in position the shoulder will bear firmly against the lower end of the barrel 4, thus securingit rigidly in position. The nipple, or couplin 8 has a central passage 14 therethroug of the same internal diameter as the barrel 12 and the tubing. The lowerend of the coupling 8 is threaded -'at 16 for connection in the string of tubing in an obvious manner.

. To support my packer operatively at any desired point in the well, I employ an anchor comprising an outer anchor sleeve 17 concentric with the barrel 4, and having on the outer surface thereof a plurality of spaced springs 18 of the ordinary leaf type bowed outwardly between the ends, and secured on the lower end thereof to the sleeve 17 by means of screws or rivets 19. The upper ends of these springs bear slidably againstjhe outer surface of the sleeve so as to allow the springs to move somewhat under compression within the casing. These springs tend to bear strongly against the .toothed at 22 to contact with the casing III when expanded and thus anchor the device withm .the well. The teeth are inclined downwardly so as to better support the Wei ht of the tubing above.

he sleeve 17 and the anchoring jaws thereon, are held downwardly in inoperative position by means of the collar 23 having threaded engagement with the lower end of the sleeve 17. The lower portion of this collar is split longitudinally at spaced intervals around the periphery thereof from the lower end to a point spaced from the upper end. The inner face of the ring at the lower end is extended inwardly and threaded at 24 with a so calledbuttress thread, the axes of which are inclined downwardly as shown in Fi s. 1 and 4. The uppercnd Q of the" coupling 8 below the barrel 4 is threaded with a similar thread, to engage with the collar. By splitting the lower end of this collar 23, the expansion of the collar" is possibleand it will be noted that if the devlce is jerked upwardly from the surface the barrel 4will tend to move within the anchor sleeve thus forcing the thread thereon into engagement with the collar 23 without rotation. When it is desired to disconcoupling downwardly out of the collar 23.

nect the collar 23 from the coupling 8, it

'will be necessary to rotate the coupling within the collar so as to screw the said In the operation of this device the packer I will be secured within the tubing at the desired point and will be lowered into posiexpansion is desired, the tubin packing device will be rotated in a right tion where it is to be expanded. When thus assembled for lowering into the well, the parts w1ll be in position as shown in Fig. 1.

The anchorsleeve will be enga ed with the coupling 8, so as to holdfi'it in operative .positlon. When the point is reached where and the hand direction. The springs 18 bearing against the casingwill revent the rotation of the anchor sleeve 1 The coupling 8 W111 thus be screwed. downwardly out of connection with the collar 23 on the sleeve. Aboutthree turns will be sufficient to disengage the parts. A downward thrust upon the tubing. and the body of the packer will then force the mandrel 9 downwardly between the dogs 21 and expand them against the casing which will be firmly gripped compressing it longitudinally and forcing it outwardly against the inner wall of the casing, and thus serve to entirely close oil the passage between the tubing and the casing.

If. it is later determined'to alter the position of the packer in thewell or to withdraw-it entirely, the tubing may be drawn upwardly, thus pulling the mandrel 9 out of'clamping relations with the jaws 21, and 'releasin the packer.

If the device is drawn upward y with some force, the threads upon the upper end of the coupling 8. will be forced into the lower end of the collar 13, so that the threads 20 thereon will en age the coupling in the} manner shown in ig. 1, and thus prevent the further expansion ofthe jaws while the packer is being lowered or raised within the casing. The resiliency of the packer itself will tend to draw it back out of contact with the casing, and allow the movement in either direction -W.i thout detriment to the packer sleeve.

The upper end of the nipple 1 may be provided with downwardly inclined teeth or threads 25 so that it may be engaged by fishing tool or other device in case of accident-within the well, and thus enable the tool to be easily withdrawn.

The advantages of this construction lie in theifact that the expansion of the packer may be readily accomplished when desired, and that the packer may be again released from the casing and adjusted at other positions, either up or down in the well without drawing the tubing'or any of the parts from the well. This is a great advantage where the exact position of the packer to shut oil gas, water or other fluid cannot be determined without experiment. two tubes or barrels 4 and 12 makes it possible to use light pipe and a packing sleeve not too thick, and at the same time, leaves the internal diameter the same as the tubing for pum ing purposes. The outer barrel may be 'spensed with and the inner tube only be used to support the packer and-anchor mechanism when the device is used in a smaller sizeof casing as will be obvious.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent to those skilled in the art. I

What I claim as new, and desire to protect bly Letters Patent is: y

1. n a packer for wells, a barrel having an upper shoulder, an expansive packing sleeve on said barrel below said shoulder, a slidable support on said barrel below said sleeve, means to limit the downward movement of said support, means to anchor said support to the well casing when desired, said means being formed for engagement with the lower end of said'barrel by the upward movement of said barrel and to be disen- The use of the gaged for operation by unscrewing ofsaid anchoring means therefrom, for the purpose described.

2. In a packer for wells, a barrel, a .coupdownwardly ta ered mandrel supported slidably on said arrel, a packing sleeve on said barrel above said mandrel, an anchor sleeve below said mandrel,-expanding jaws sleeve.

on said sleeve engaging said mandrel, an. expansible collar at the lower end of said sleeve adapted to engage the said threaded coupling on an upward movement of said coupling and to disengage therefrom when said coupling is screwed downwardly, and means tending to resist rotation of said 3. In a packer for wells, a barrel, a packing sleeve thereon, means supporting said sleeve at both ends thereof, the lower support being slidable, a coupling, means having a threaded en agement therewith ada ted when release to anchor said slida le sup ort in the well, and a tube secured 1n sai upper support and said coupllng to hold said barrel against said coupling.

' 4. In a well packer, a barrel, a cou ling at the lower end thereof, a packing s eeve on said barrel, a slidable mandrel supporting said sleeve on the upper end of said barrel, expanding dogs working on said mandrel, a sleeve supportin said dogs having its lower end split ongitudinally and threaded with an upwardly inclined buttress thread, means preventing rotation of said sleeve, and cooperating buttress threads on said coupling for the purpose described.

5. In a well packer, an upper nipple, a lower coupling, a barrel secured within said nipple, separate means connecting said nipple and coupling, a downwardly tapered mandrel slidable on said barrel, means to limit the downward movement of said mandrel, a packing sleeve on said barrel above said mandrel an anchor sleeve, expandin dogs on said sleeve adapted to fit on sai mandrel and cooperating means on said coupling and said anchor sleeve adapted to engage on the upward movement of said coupling and disengage by unscrewing thereof for the purpose described.

- 6. In a well packer, a=nipple threaded for engagement within a string of tubing, :1- tube connected thereto of the same internal diameter as said tubing, a concentric outer barrel secured in said nipple, means to connect the lower ends of said barrel and tube, a packing sleeve on said'barrel below said nip le, a supporting mandrel slidable on sai pipe below said packing sleeve, and means releasable by rotating said pipe to support said mandrel against movement I downwardly in the well, wherebysaid pi may be forced downwardly to expand said packer, said releasable means being formed to be again secured out of operative position by the upward movement of said barrel and tublng.

8. A packer for use onwell tubing comprising a nipple, a tube connected therewith of the same interior diameter as said tubing, an outer barrel in said nipple, a coupling at the lower ends of said tube and barrel, and expanding packing means on said barrel in the manner and for the purpose described.

9. A packer'for use on well tubing, comprising a nipple, a barrel connected therein, a coupling having a shoulder bearing against the lower end of said barrel, a support slidable on said barrel, a packer sleeve above said support on said barrel, means to anchor said support in the well hole, said means detachably engaging said cou ling, and a tube connecting said nipple an said coupling, said tube being of the same internal diameter as said tubing.

10. A tubing packer comprising, a nipple, a coupling, an inner tube connecting said nipple and coupling, a barrel outside said tube connected in said nipple and bear' against said coupling, a support'slidable on said barrel, a packing sleeve between said support and said nipple and means to prising a nipple having'two attaching seats in its lower end, a coupling, a tube secured in one of said seats in said nipple and secured centrally in said coupling, a barrel outside said tube, and secured in said nipple at its upper end and resting on said coupling at its lower end and packing means on said barrel adapted for releasable connection with said coupling and to be expanded on said barrel, said tube being of the same internal diameter as said tubing.-

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 16th day of January, A. D.

JEDDY n. NIXON. 

